When Charles Stratton was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum. Mr. Barnum thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a name, General Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
During the show, Tom fought battles pretendedly with tall people. He also danced upon a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall. Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a schoolteacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about 2000 guests. Crowds filled the streets of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding marriage. The couple even met with President on their honeymoon just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country sponsored (发起) “Tom Thumb” weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun.
56. Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Charles’ parents supported him and performed together with him.
B. Charles was found and hired by the famous showman.
C. Charles put lots of advertisements to arouse interest.
D. Charles’ success was largely due to Mr. Barnum’s help.
57. Tom would dance on a wooden plate held by an eight-foot-tall person probably because ______________.
A. the wooden plate would make it sound as if Tom was dancing
B. it made Tom look taller
C. the eight–foot–tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
D. the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
58. The underlined words “talk of the town” in the second paragraph from the bottom means ______________.
A. it was in the newspaper B. people spread bad rumors about it
C. it was the most popular topic D. it was discussed in a city meeting
59. What does the author think about Tom’s wedding?
A. It helped people cheer up in a dark time. B. People gave it too much of their attention.
C. It was funny and ridiculous. D. Tom and Lavinia were stupid.
C
It is a lot of trouble to learn a new language. When we go to all that trouble, we certainly want to be understood. But understanding is based on more than speech. Sometimes misunderstanding comes not from the wrong words, but from the wrong style. In our own country, we learn the style for politeness. But this polite style may be misunderstood in another country. This can cause unexpected difficulties. Since you have spent so much effort learning this new language, it is sensible and practical to learn the politeness rules also. Even if you think some of the customs are foolish, learning them can help you to be clearly understood.
In your country, is it considered polite to listen quietly to other people without any change of expression on the face? If this is the style you have learned, perhaps you should watch two Americans talking. Notice how the person who is listening will have frequent changes of expression. The listener may also make little remarks while the other person is talking. These little remarks may be one word, like “Really?” or they may just be a little sound, like “Uhhuh” or “Mmm.” This is the way American listeners show that they are listening in a friendly way. This is why Americans get uneasy when the listener is silent and shows no change of expression. In the American style of speaking, an unmoving face often means that the listener is unfriendly, or perhaps even angry.
Sometimes people from two countries are uncomfortable with each other for very small reasons. Here is an example: Americans think that perspiration odor is not polite. In fact, they worry so much about this subject that they spend a great deal of money on deodorants (除臭剂) and dry cleaning and washing their clothes. If a foreign student does not follow the same rule, Americans may be disturbed and think the foreigner is not nice. The problem can be especially troublesome because Americans are so embarrassed about this subject that they do not even like to talk about it, so they are not likely to tell that person why they are uneasy.
63. If you want to be clearly understood in another country, besides the language, you should also learn _________.
A. its common knowledge B. its style C. its wrong words D. how to make a speech
64. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. American listeners have frequent changes of expression.
B. A foreign student may not get along well with Americans if he smells.
C. An unmoving face and silence of listeners will make Americans feel unhappy.
D. Making little remarks like “Really”, “Uhhuh” or “Mum” is impolite while listening to an American.
65. The underlined phrase in the last paragraph probably means _________.
A. an unpleasant smell B. a good style of talking
C. an unfriendly way D. a polite expression
66. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Learning a new language B. Different people, Different languages
C. Body Language D. Different Countries, Different Cultures
B
Ed Viesturs grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where the tallest thing on the horizon was the water tower. But on Thursday, Viesturs became the only American to climb to the top of the world’s 14 highest mountains.
His last hike was up Mount Annapurna, in Asia’s snow-capped Himalayas. At 26, 545 feet, its peak is the 10th highest in the world. It is the mountain that inspired him to start climbing.
“It tends to be the trickiest, the most dangerous, ” said Viesturs, “There’s no simple way to climb it. There are threatening avalanches (雪崩) and ice falls that protect the mountain.”
In high school, Viesturs read French climber Maurice Herzog’s tale of climbing the icy Annapurna. Herzog’s story was of a lot of difficulty and near-death experiences. Viesturs was hooked right away.
Viesturs got his start on Washington’s Mount Rainier in 1977, guiding hikes in the summer. Fifteen years ago, he set out to walk up to the world’s highest peaks. Finally, he’s done.
The pioneering climber talks about mountains as if they were living creatures that should be treated with respect. “You have to use all of your senses, all of your abilities to see if the mountain will let you climb it,” said Viesturs. “If we have the patience and the respect, and if we’re here at the right time, under the right circumstances (情况), they allow us to go up, and allow us to come down. ”
What’s next for a man who can’t stop climbing? “I’m going to hug my wife and kids and kind of kick back and enjoy the summer. ” says Viesturs. But for a man who’s climbed the world’s 14 tallest mountains, he will probably soon set off on yet another adventure.
59. What record has Ed Viesturs set?
A. He has succeeded in climbing to the top of the world’s 14th highest mountain.
B. He has become the first American to climb to the top of the world’s 14 highest mountains.
C. He has become the first to climb to the height of 26, 545 feet.
D. He has become the first man to climb to the top of 14 highest mountains in the world.
60. The underlined word “hooked” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by “__________”.
A. frightened B. discouraged C. interested D. upset
61. The author used Viestures’ words in Paragraph 6 to support a view that __________.
A. mountain climbing is a dangerous sport
B. mountains should be regarded as living creatures
C. mountain climbing needs more strength than skills
D. those who like mountain climbing won’t stop climbing
62. What’s the next probable plan of Viestures?
A. Stopping climbing and staying with his family.
B. Climbing to the top of the world’s 14 tallest mountains again.
C. Meeting other challenges.
D. Writing down the experiences about his adventure.
第三部分: 阅读理解 (共15小题; 每小题2分, 满分30分)
请认真阅读下列短文, 从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中, 选出最佳选项, 并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。
A
Sep. 30 I moved into the dormitory today—an ugly building and near a busy main road, too. My room is small but quite pleasant. I must get some posters for the walls, though. I met a few fellow students at supper (The food was awful). They all look much younger than me. They are, of course!
Oct. 07 Lectures began last Monday. So far they haven’t been very interesting (except for the man who gives lectures on drama). Personally, I’d rather go to the library and read, but I have to attend ten lectures a week. Those are the “rules”! Well, at least you meet people there.
Oct. 12 I really don’t like life in the dormitory at all. The food is bad and the students are noisy. They stay up half the night and play games just outside my room. When on earth do they sleep? When do they work? Besides, I don’t like my room. It’s just like living in a box! It looks even smaller now with the posters on the wall.
Oct. 26 I tried to explain some of my problems to my supervisor (导师) today. She listened—but that was about all. “You have to go to lectures, you know, Ann,” she told me. “And the dormitory is cheap and convenient.” “Cheap and convenient”! Well, it isn’t “cheap” if you can’t eat the food and it isn’t “convenient” if you can’t sleep at night!
Oct. 30 I can’t believe it! Three other students—I met them at a lecture and they’re all about my own age —have invited me to share a flat with them. It’s in an old house and it has its own kitchen, so we can cook for ourselves. And my room—right at the top of the house—is fantastic!
Nov. 10 I moved into my new room last Sunday. I feel really happy. Life is going to be much more fun from now on!
56. Ann’s diary is mainly about __________.
A. food B. her dormitory life C. the lectures D. her fellow student
57. Ann complained (抱怨) about the students because __________.
A. they disturbed her B. they did not work C. they did not sleep D. they looked younger
58. In her new room, Ann was __________.
A. interested B. sorry C. excited D. shocked
B
Many people catch a cold in the springtime or fall. It makes us wonder. If scientists can send a man to the moon, why can’t they find a way to deal with the common cold? The answer is easy. There are actually hundreds of kinds of cold viruses out there. You never know which one you will get, so there isn’t a cure for each one.
When a virus attacks your body, your body works hard to get rid of it. Blood rushes to your nose and brings congestion（拥塞）in it. That is to say, you cannot breathe well. As a result, you feel terrible. However, your body is actually “eating” the virus. Your temperature rises and you get a fever, but the heat of your body is also killing the virus. Besides, you have a runny nose to stop the virus from getting into you. You may feel terrible, but in fact your wonderful body is doing everything it can to kill the cold.
Different people have different ways to deal with common colds. In the United States and some other countries, for example, people might eat chicken soup to feel better. Some people take hot baths; some drink warm water, milk, or things like that; other people take medicine to stop the fever, congestion, and runny nose.
Some scientists suggest you should not take medicine when having a common cold, saying that it is bad for you to do that. If you take medicine, your body will stop reacting to the virus and thus won’t have a way to fight it and kill it, which makes the virus stay in you longer. Bodies can do an amazing job on their own.
56. According to the passage, what makes us wonder?
A. Why we never know which cold we will get.
B. Why scientists are able to send a man to the moon.
C. Why scientists cannot find a cure for the common cold.
D. Why there are hundreds of kinds of cold viruses out there.
57. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage when we are suffering from colds?
A. Fever. B. Headache. C. Runny nose. D. Congestion.
58. When you have congestion in your nose, ________.
A. you will not be able to breathe well
B. your temperature is going to rise
C. your blood is running too fast
D. you will have a runny nose
59. According to the passage, people may deal with common colds in different ways EXCEPT ________.
A. taking medicine B. taking hot baths C. eating chicken soup D. drinking alcohol
60. Some scientists advise you not to take medicine when you have a common cold because _______.
A. your body will fight and kill the virus on its own
B. your body will probably react too much to the virus
C. it will take longer time for your body to get over the virus
D. it will not be able to stop the fever, congestion or runny nose
第三部分阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
第一节阅读下面两篇语言材料，然后按要求做题。（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
A
Molly Wilson had been a dancer and a mother for many years when she decided to sail round the world to raise money for charity.
As a child she had trained as a ballet dancer, but at l5 she had grown too tall for classical ballet, so she became a member of a pop dance team.
She got married, and after she had children she retired from show business to bring them up. They grew up, and when they were 18 they left home.
She says, “When I decided to do the round-the-world race, my husband thought I was bored because the children had left home. He was also worried because I had never sailed before. I was not bored, but I had met some people who told me about the race. They had taken part in it, but they had only done one section, say, from New Zealand to Australia. I wanted to do the whole ten-month journey. ”
Before Molly left she did a lot of training, but it hadn’t prepared her for the worst weather which they experienced. By the end of October last year, she had raised more than $50,000 for charity.
She says, “Sometimes I ask myself, what did I do? How did I do it? But then I think, it’s the same as being a dancer. Before I left on trip, I had trained hard. I had got very fit and had prepared myself completely. Then on the trip I was simply a good team member.”
51. Why did Molly Wilson decide to do the round-the-world race?
A. She had never sailed before. B. She was bored.
C. She wanted to raise money for charity. D. She wanted to earn money.
52. She joined the pop dance team because___________.
A. she was 15 B. she hadn’t trained hard
C. she had been too fat. D. she had been too tall
53. What is the proper order of the following statements?
a. She got married. b. She became the member of a pop dance team.
c. She retired. d. She sailed around the world.
e. She trained as a ballet dancer.
A. e—b—a—c—d B．b—a—c—d—e
C．e—b—c—a—d D．c—a—b—d—e
54. The underlined “section” in the fourth paragraph probably means________.
A. part B. department C. unit D. city
55. We can conclude from the passage that________
A. she once wanted to give up on the journey
B. her husband didn’t support her in the beginning
C. she didn’t love her children
D. she didn’t raise any money at last